


2nd was the news discovered

by TFALokiwriter



Series: Lost with magic [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, He's not in there long folks, Number Four Privet Drive (Harry Potter), Post-Sirius Black in Azkaban
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23652772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: Soon, the facts of the night that Harry was left in front of the Durlsey's house came to life.
Relationships: Petunia Evans Dursley/Vernon Dursley
Series: Lost with magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702897
Kudos: 5





	2nd was the news discovered

**Author's Note:**

> are you going to get RANDOM Harry Potter fics from me?
> 
> Most definitely yes.

Minerva returned to the Dursley household to check that everything was going just as anticipated. The squib who was assigned to Privet Drive had complained the lack of two distinctive crying belonging to two different children in the last few weeks as according to the letter that Dumbledore had shared with her then shook his head muttering, “Harry is a quiet child.” and Minerva knew better before they had a staff meeting about the comings and goings of troublesome students.

Minerva strolled through into the house late at night then searched from floor to floor over the snoring of the Dursleys. Her long tail swept from side to side as she scanned her environment. She made her way down to the bottom of the house then used a charm that opened the cupboard up. There was no child in sight. 

“Expecto Patronium.”

She turned toward the patronus of the cat.

“Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, it is urgent that you come to privet 4 drive. It is about Potter. He isn’t in their custody.”

Minerva sent the patronus out and watched as it fled down the corridor. 

* * *

Dumbledore arrived to Privet 4 drive shortly after the potions master and something was quite amiss. Perhaps it was amiss with the lights on in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was amiss with someone that Dumbledore saw was the most worthy of taking over his position as head master at Hogwarts. Perhaps, it was amiss because Snape was there. 

He couldn't touch what about it was amiss but it was amiss.

Dumbledore doubted that Harry wasn't in their custody and that this was her way of forcing him to check on the boy.

Something was amiss with Harry Potter.

“Are the muggles awake?” Dumbledore asked.

“I have them in the living room, Headmaster.” Minerva replied. “Said they gave him away. But, won’t say who.”

“Do you have the potion ready, Professor Snape?” Dumbledore said. 

“I acquired it before I left, Headmaster.” Snape replied. 

“Hmm, time to try the tea option.” Dumbledore said. “And get to know their reasoning.”

The trio entered the Dursley house in a single file line then went into the entrance way of the home then spotted the couple seated on the couch with their arms folded – save for Petunia who was holding a crying but alarmed Dudley – waiting for the event to be over with. Snape was the member who almost blended in as he strode past them with a shadow. Dumbledore entered the living room with his hands linked behind his back. 

“Is this your brother, Mrs Durlsey?” Dumbledore asked.

“I am her husband,” Vernon said. “That man you had seen earlier was a guest of ours.”

“You are the only protection that her son has, Petunia.” Dumbledore said. “You have left him to die like a lamb for slaughter.”

“Like a lamb?” Petunia stood up to her feet. “Like a lamb? You wanted me to be the savior’s hero, you wanted me to raise a pig for slaughter, you wanted me to hold on to him for my sister’s sake.” She turned away then put Dudley into the older man’s hands then shifted toward Dumbledore with a murderous glare. “My sister is a strong woman, Headmaster Dumbledore.” 

Her words were filled in anger and resentment. 

“She wouldn’t go down without a fight.” 

Petunia said as she took a few steps forward with her hands in her fists. 

“The Lily you speak of is the one who never has her wand on her.” 

“She didn’t need to have a wand on her at all times.” Dumbledore replied. “She had a secret keeper. She was safe.”

“Lily thought she was safe then she was betrayed during a Wizarding war.” Petunia reminded, shallowly.

Dumbledore grimaced. 

“No one expects betrayal.” Dumbledore reminded. 

“If she were interested in leading a muggle life then she would come here and set aside the magical world.” 

“Your sister could not do that.” Dumbledore said. “She was fighting for you.”

“She was fighting for muggleborns.” Petunia replied. “I am a _muggle_.”

“The best kind of muggle woman there ever could be.” Vernon chipped in with a nod.

“That Lily who stood between her son and Voldemort was a muggle in your story.” Petunia replied. “Someone who had little interest in the world of the muggles isn’t the same woman that you told me.”

“My sister was the strongest woman I knew with all things thrown at her, poverty, being insulted for being half of what you say is unacceptable, keeping her head high over a unhappy sister that she wasn’t magical and couldn’t go to Hogwarts.”

Her eyes met the headmaster. 

“And I don’t want to raise a inch of a Wizard or Witch in this house. That is pure fantasy, fantasy!” She rubbed her fingers together as her face twisted into rage and bitterness. “Old homely, happy, rich Hogwarts away from the dark, dreary, and depressing reality that a muggle lives on a day to day basis! It’s fantasy long as you are a muggle or a squib! Just another reality, dimension, that simply does not exist!” 

She threw her hands out then stepped back. 

“So don’t tell me that HARRY POTTER deserves to live among the very people that you said doesn’t deserve to be part of Hogwarts! So excuse me, we are not going to hand over the name of someone who would love to raise him and send him off to die without knowing what his ultimate fate was. To vanish out of their life and die unexpectedly so young! Do I need to remind you how old my sister was Voldemort killed her.”

“You do not, Mrs Dursley.” Dumbledore said. "We are very aware how she had fallen."

“Not fallen into a car accident with James as you have so carefully worded it with a man you thought was my husband.”

Minerva was quiet for a single moment then faked a cough and Petunia turned her attention upon her.

“She is not dead.” Minerva said as Petunia’s disgust was replaced by surprise. “Lily Potter was tortured to the point of insanity as was James Potter.”

Petunia screamed as she fell to her feet so Vernon joined her side. 

“Pet, Pet, Pet, they are alive.” Vernon said. “You can still reconcile over it!” He clenched on to the side of her shoulder as her hand cupped the side of her face as she proceeded to weep. “You can do what you have always wanted!”  
  
“She is g–she is–she is—she is gone.” Petunia wept as her face twisted and her head fell. “She is gone!”

She cried into Vernon’s chest as Minerva pointedly stared at Dumbledore.

"Get out," Vernon started quietly, turning his attention upon them with a glare.

"No." Dumbledore said. "We are here to discover the whereabouts of the boy."

"Stinking ugly absurd living shit for a LIVING HUMAN BEING." Vernon hissed toward them. "Worthless trash telling my wife that! You're not welcome here!" His face turned a shade of red in rage toward the wizard. "Magic isn't welcome here at all!"

Vernon brought the younger woman on to the ugly couch close to his side then wrapped a arm around her waist as she wept.

"We won't be here long." Minerva assured. "Headmaster, it would be best that you weren't here for the interrogation."

Her weeping was pained, heartbroken, and most of all in certain distress that he wished wouldn’t be put upon anyone else.

"That would be wise." Was the agreement. "Professor Snape will question you."

Snape returned with a silver platter then set it on the table for the couple. 

“She is quite alive, Pet.” Vernon took her hands and rubbed along her smaller hands. “Magic may have taken her soul but not her body.”

Petunia turned her attention upon the older man as she sniffled. 

“Verny.” Petunia said with a small tearful smile patting on the side of his cheek. “You know just the right words to make me feel better.”

“I have brought tea.” Snape said. 

Vernon and Petunia took a cup as their moods calmed once Dumbledore had left the house. Snape applied a pleseant charm to Dudley to cease his crying and performed a trick that helped the boy fall asleep with a easy memory featuring whips of dark clouds. The couple paid little attention to Dudley who fell to sleep with a small smile. The couple sipped from it and became still in a trance-like state. 

“What is the name of the person you have handed Harry Potter off to?” Minerva asked. 

“We don’t know.” Vernon said. 

"How could you have forgotten something so important as that?" Snape asked.

“Muggles have very short memories." Minerva said. "And trauma does play a part in suppressing the memory."

"I have little credit to that theory." Snape commented.

“I have known several muggles of muggleborns who willed themselves to forget after the seventh year and their children left the nest.” Minerva remarked as she were quite sorrowful over the matter. She looked back at the past at a series of memories from former students of Hogwarts under her wing and watched them grow, “Unleashing their children to the world without much of a good-bye. It’s more often than not that this happens with families drifting apart.”

Snape stared upon the couple. 

“What is their preoccupation?” Snape asked.

“I don’t know.” Was the unanimous reply from them. 

“They really don’t want the child back.” Minerva said, saddened but heartbroken.

"This does pose a obstacle." Snape agreed.

“Harry could be lost forever.” Minerva said. “Or worse; dead.”

The wizard and witch looked upon the couple then departed. It was Minerva who informed the headmaster regarding the situation and he was quite not pleased. None of them were happy about the situation but concern was still in the air. Dumbledore turned off the lights in the apartment with a single spell.

“The prophecy stands that he must live to stand against you-know-who.” Dumbledore remarked.

“A very icky prophecy.” Snape replied. “I will be going now.”

“See you in the morning, Professor Snape.” Dumbledore said as the man went apparated away.

Minerva returned inside drained the cups with a simple spell then another that returned them to where they had to be. She came back out joining her mentor in front of the apartment and closed the door behind her with a simple spell.

“Dumbledore, leaving Harry with them was a awful idea.” Minerva said. 

Dumbledore sighed, shifting his gaze toward Minerva, then nodded somberly. 

“I was wrong to choose them.” Dumbledore admitted.

Minerva left then so did Dumbledore. In a few moments, the couple were awake, then returned to their upstairs room holding hands, quietly, unshaken, but quite resolved and relieved that magic was never going to enter their household again with Dudley in Petunia’s arms. Petunia paused at the top of the stairs, a pang of hurt and tears struck her, reminded again – as she closed her eyes –that she had no sister to anticipate a visit or write to and send a letter to the muggle way.

Vernon put a hand on to her back and guided her to Vernon’s room. 

"It's okay, Pet." Vernon said as Petunia squeezed his hand. "We're okay."

But, she could always write letters with the hope that the Wizarding world would one day cure her. 

And she would have all the letters to catch up on her sister’s life. 

Petunia opened her eyes, sadly, mournfully, then set Dudley into his bed and followed Vernon out closing the door behind her.

* * *

The Daily Prophet newspaper was discarded along the dirty bricks of the cell that belonged to Sirius Black. The clouds were dark and cloudy as they were most of the time if not cold. He had become familiar to the sensation of feeling and cold and reliving the worst experiences of his life losing what good memories that he had to the jailers. Eleven muggles, one wizard, twelve counts for life. Twelve lifetimes if he could manage it. 

He hadn’t fought for them, he had lead the Death Eaters to Harry for one tiny small visit–and he had failed them. It was the cruelest kind of agony knowing what he had thrown Harry into. Got a muggle killed–but, did he? Months ago, the newspaper returned with the muggle chasing after the reporters with a shovel and one of the bottom photographs displayed him destroying the precious equipment with said item. 

He slipped open the newspaper and was struck by the bold headline

THE BOY WHO LIVED: MISSING!

A picture of the blasted, dreary, and sad house that Sirius had only seen once from Lily’s wedding was forefront. The Dursleys were smiling, standing in front of the house, holding only one baby that was fatter than Harry and more rounded, ugly, and quite horrible. A Dursley in every format available down to the very molecule. They were smiling as if they were posing for a family photograph for a magazine cover. The more that Sirius read the paper the more that rage built up in him toward Dumbledore. 

He ripped the newspaper up into pieces—That’s what Remus should have done! Ripped him to pieces instead of scarring him so bad and severely that he left long term scars before the court subdued the animal. Remus wasn’t himself. Didn’t revert back much to the confusion. It was as if he had transitioned to a new stage of his ailment; that of a different stage of being a werewolf. He had entered lycanthropy but a far odd different stage.

A deadly werewolf that had little to no cure or chance of self-control with Wolfsbane potion except he couldn't turn back. If Dumbledore hadn’t taken Harry then Remus would have no reason to appear at the court. If Dumbledore hadn’t manipulated everyone around him. If Dumbledore never existed; none of this would have happened at all. Or if he had been smart enough to argue against Sirius betraying Harry. 

Rage brewed in his gray human eyes that slowly became become dog-like and his ears moved up to the top of his head becoming pointed as a tail grew from beneath his spine. Sirius turned into Padfoot on his four feet then he leaped out of the building. He descended down the bricks using them as his steps down the building around tower that kept his cell up.

Once he came to the rocky terrain of the cliff, Padfoot made the leap crashing into the water. He crashed into the water then swam to the surface and lifted his head up into the air. He carried his head up high with his nose up sniffing the air as the waters crashed against him. With spite and determination, Padfoot fought against the waves straying away from the direction of what was Britain toward the route where America lay ahead of him.

It was going to be a _long_ journey to reach Harry. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I have been reading a lot headcanons how and why Petunia is with Vernon. And the headcanons make so much sense why she sticks with him. This was supposed to be '2nd came the dog' but this installment felt like it were its own story.


End file.
